The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant that is grown for use as an ornamental perennial for bedding or containers. The new cultivar is known botanically as Penstemon kunthii and that will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Yaput’.
‘Yaput’ resulted from a long term breeding program that was conducted by the inventor at the inventor's nursery in Congleton, Cheshire, United Kingdom and begun in 1993. The purpose of the breeding program was to produce varieties of Penstemon that exhibit new and unique habit and flower color. In 1993, the inventor acquired seed of the species Penstemon kunthii, sowed that seed and selected a single plant for its promising branching habit as a subject for further cross-pollination and back-crossing which took place over three generations during the three year period, 1994 to 1996. In 1996, the inventor discarded all but a few plants from the accumulated population and in spring 1997 asexually reproduced the remainder in order to evaluate the characteristics of each when grown from a cutting as would be typical in commercial production. In the summer of 1997, the inventor selected a single plant from the cutting-raised population, which plant is the subject of the present invention ‘Yaput’. Selection of ‘Yaput’ was based on new and unique habit and flower color. No other plants were selected from the breeding program.
Both the female and the male parents are unnamed and unreleased plants raised by the inventor from seed harvested by the inventor as a result of deliberate cross-pollinations of plants whose origin was seed collected from an unnamed plant of Penstemon kunthii. ‘Yaput’ was selected, and is distinguishable from the parent plants, by habit and flower color. The distinguishing characteristics of ‘Yaput’ are compact upright habit, dark green glossy leaves, and fragrant flowers that are dark pink in color with white throats that exhibit red-purple stripes. The closest comparison plant is Penstemon kunthii. ‘Yaput’ differs from the comparison plant in habit and flower color.
‘Yaput’ was first asexually propagated by the inventor in 1997 at the inventor's nursery in Congleton, Cheshire, England using tip cuttings. ‘Yaput’ has been found stable and true to type after many cycles of vegetative cuttings.